What You Really Needed
“But I still encourage anyone who feels at all compelled to write to do so. I just try to warn people who hope to get published that publication is not all that it is cracked up to be. But writing is. Writing has so much to give, so much to teach, so many surprises. That thing you had to force yourself to do—the actual act of writing—turns out to be the best part. It’s like discovering that while you thought you needed the tea ceremony for the caffeine, what you really needed was the tea ceremony.”
—Anne Lamott, Bird by Bird
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Heather says:
This is why I love publish-your-owns like Blurb. No matter who likes it, who doesn’t, I can still order nicely bound copies for friends and family. My five year old daughter can hold a book in her hands that her mommy wrote. Who cares that it’s self-published. She doesn’t.
On December 29, 2010 at 4:13 pm
Karen Edmisten says:
I love Bird by Bird.
On December 29, 2010 at 4:46 pm
sarah says:
That quote is just perfection.
On December 29, 2010 at 8:55 pm
Eileen Smithdeal says:
This is so Great, so true. Thanks for posting. I miss you, dear friend 🙂
On December 29, 2010 at 11:07 pm
Ellie says:
Ah, I am fond of Anne Lamott. I was lucky enough to see her at a booksigning once, and to speak with her afterwards. She’s just lovely, very personable.
On December 30, 2010 at 10:55 am
Susan T. says:
Yay. Love that quote.
On December 30, 2010 at 1:12 pm
The Sojourner says:
I need to read Anne Lamott someday, apparently. (Though I think I’ve read half of her book already in quotes scattered across the internet…)
I also need to write the post percolating in my head about the moment that, for me, makes it all worth it.
On December 31, 2010 at 10:17 am
Hannah says:
OH, I loved Bird by Bird! It was recommended to me by Kate DiCamillo when I met her at a booksigning, so of course I immediately put it on hold at the library. No one writes quite like Ms. Lamott!
On December 31, 2010 at 2:40 pm